FEATURE: Highland Park Giants Get Blackhawks Treatment, Day of Surprises

HIGHLAND PARK, Ill. - They thought they were going swimming.
But the Highland Park Giants Club Hockey Team knew something was awry as a confetti shower courtesy of Tommy Hawk accompanied a rendition of "Chelsea Dagger" blaring from the Chicago Blackhawks mascot's van. The music drowned out the noise of two charter buses also arriving at the entrance of the Hidden Creek Aquatic Center.

"When we were at the water park, I thought it would be some kind of pool party," sophomore defenseman P.J. Donohue said. "Obviously, it's not."
Tommy Hawk left his perch atop his van and stood with Mike Schaffer, president of the Highland Park Giants Hockey Association, who called for quiet, then introduced Blackhawks General Manager Kyle Davidson, and Associate General Managers Jeff Greenberg and Norm Maciver.

"We're actually making you all Blackhawk recruits for the day," Davidson said. "We know the community has been through a lot in the last few months, and I heard that you've been displaced from your arena. So, we're planning on giving you the full Blackhawks experience today."
After the Fourth of July tragedy in Highland Park, the Blackhawks organization wanted to lift the spirits of a community still healing from the mass shooting. As part of the organization's Day of Service, the front office and hockey operations staff put together an afternoon and evening of surprises for the Giants, whose home rink has is currently out of commission due to mechanical problems.
"So, if you're good to go," Davidson continued as he motioned to the Highland Park players, "let's saddle up and go."
Excited chatter came from the Giants as they passed their hockey bags to Tommy Hawk, who tossed the equipment onto the bus. Players scrambled to load snacks, water, coolers and themselves, while their parents boarded the second charter bus.

Discussions of the Blackhawks 2022-23 roster and the upcoming NHL season punctuated the hour-long drive into the city to Fifth Third Arena, the Blackhawks' community ice rink and practice home. Blackhawks staff carted off the Giants' gear from the bus to their locker rooms for the evening, as other staff members began to execute surprise after surprise.
As the team gathered outside the arena, new Blackhawks head coach Luke Richardson appeared from a Fifth Third Arena side door to the Giants' applause. He offered words of encouragement and shepherded the hockey players into the facility.
Blackhawks front office staff lined the entrance, cheering and high fiving the Giants en route to their locker room. The staff ushered parents to the stands, while Richardson changed into his coaching gear and prepared to lead the opening block of the Giants' practice.
Before Richardson and the Giants took the ice, though, Richardson had to make sure that if the Giants were to be Blackhawks for the day, they looked the part. He led the group across the facility to the Blackhawks' team locker room, where custom red and black Blackhawks practice jerseys hung with every player's name and number printed on the back.
Cries of "no way" and whistles filled the room, as the Giants found their threads. Once changed and seated in their stalls, Richardson began to go over his plan for a brief warmup session. As he wrapped up, he unveiled one final surprise - the door to his left sliding open on cue.

"I'm sure you recognize Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane." Richardson said.
"What's up, guys?" Toews said, before he and Kane took a lap around the room, greeting every player with fist bumps.
Shocked laughter and surprised expletives left the Giants as they met their hockey heroes.
"Obviously, it's an honor to meet you guys," Toews said to the players. "I'm sure you, your families, your friends and a lot of people close to you have been through some pretty crazy stuff, and there's nothing we can say to take that away. But Kaner, myself and the Blackhawks are right there with you guys thinking about you and your community."
Kane echoed Toews' statement, and both posed for pictures, signed every player's jersey and answered a handful of questions.
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"It was nice [being a part of this today]," Kane said. "It was nice to just take a part out of your day to come down and say hi to the kids from Highland Park."
Say hi -- and compliment a Kane-like mullet.
"I'm a little in shock, I guess," Donohue, whose hair mimics Kane's vintage hairstyle, said. "I mean, I met Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane. That's not something that every kid gets to do. I mean, Patrick Kane complimented my hair twice, so how much better does it get than that?"
Grins accompanied every Giant when they took the ice at Fifth Third Arena to cheers from their parents and Blackhawks staff in the stands. The players followed Richardson's instructions for warm-ups, then lined both blue lines as public address announcer Gene Honda introduced both teams and Jim Cornelison for the scrimmage-opening national anthem.
"I think it's really uplifting to see that such a big organization like this, that obviously all of us hockey players look up to so much, it really helps to show that they care, and that they're here for us and supporting us," Donohue said. "It's really special. It makes us feel a lot better."
Two 20-minute halves ticked away, goals were scored, and "Chelsea Dagger" played, though there were no winners and losers when the final horn sounded.
"That's what community is all about, and I thought Jonathan said it right," Richardson said, "that there's really no words we can say, but our actions today just let them know that we're with them and supporting them and the whole community. That's what the Chicago Blackhawks are all about."
The day of surprises, kept close to Schaffer's heart for a month before Sept. 19, gave the Blackhawks organization an opportunity to show its support for a recovering community and, in turn, gave Highland Park the ability to represent itself apart from the national summer news cycle.
"This is such a highlight for us, because this is what's awesome about Highland Park, our boys love playing hockey, they love living here, they love following the Blackhawks," Donohue's mother Michaela said. "So, what an incredible thrill for them."

It's safe to say the evening was far better than going swimming.
"This was beyond what we could have expected," mother Kimmy Mindel said. "I think the boys are having the time of their lives. I know, for sure, my son is really happy. This will definitely raise some morale for our organization and Highland Park."
With hockey season back in full swing, Fifth Third Arena once again regularly hosts NHL players as the Blackhawks on a daily basis, but few days will live up to the evening it welcomed 37 Highland Park hockey players, a testament to the game's ability to serve as a great equalizer.
"Hockey is really good at that - supporting [each other] in the good times and in the fun times, celebrating," Richardson said, "but also coming together when there's some tough times and helping people take that next step to get through it."